Tinker (a Han x Reader romance)
by Daffodils-N-Dragons
Summary: Y/N is a mechanic who has acquired a place aboard the Millennium Falcon after a run in with Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca. Han has a soft spot for her, even if she's hopeless with a blaster. However, Y/N feels as though she's becoming a burden, and a recent injury fuels this fire. She finally lets her emotions known, and the pair have to go from from there (set after ROTJ)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:**

This was written within two hours because I was really in the mood. Its a Reader x Han story since you can put yourself in her shoes. Originally I just wanted to do something smutty, but I kinda want some plot now. Not much is fleshed out and I don't really know much about the female character in question. Her appearance is mostly up to you, I guess, though I might give her some sort of description soon. All I know is that she's short, about 5 foot 3. Probably around 18/19 - Han likes a young lady after all. I've got a history for her, about how she's a mechanic, what planet she's from etc. that'll be revealed down the line so you can know her better and get into her shoes.

"This is based after Return of the Jedi, Han is no longer with Leia and he's retired from the New Republic military, back to his old tricks but riding on the somewhat fame of being a war hero. Our character is someone he's picked up recently, someone helpful - though the angst of this story is based around how she doesn't feel that way for now.

Please feel free to R&R, and let me know if you see any errors - only proof read once!

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Y/N could not believe it had happened…again. Anywhere she went with Han Solo ended with the sound of blasters, and for some reason it was always her that had to feel that now familiar jolt of pain through one of her limbs. This time the blaster shot had grazed her right leg, which she half dragged behind her as she clung onto Han's co-pilot, and dearest friend, Chewbacca's arm for support, racing back to the Falcon. A few dozen metres away from the ship's entrance, Y/N groaned, the pain worsening. She felt herself become a dead weight in Chewie's arms involuntarily, and the Wookiee called out for his partner in crime. Han stopped in his tracks and turned, he had broken a sweat and the lines of concern across his forehead had not yet disappeared; he knew they were not quite out of the woods yet.

"For crying out loud Y/N" he huffed, moving around to her other side to snake his arm under hers. Y/N face went red with humiliation, all these failures on her part were coming to a boil within her mind. Catching the shame painted on her face, Han changed his tone. It was the stress of the situation that annoyed him, not her. "Must be the fifth time you've been hit now, surely" he said, a joking laugh coming out breathily as he and Chewie started to carry her back to the ship.

"Fourth" Y/N corrected, though notably not in the usual counter-joke manner. Four times too many. How the hell were Han and Chewie meant to rely on her if she was going to get injured on almost a monthly basis? As they climbed aboard the ship, the shouts of their aggressors grew louder behind them. Just as the ship ramp pulled up and closed behind them, the sounds of their blasters began. Han let go of Y/N, his eyes fixating on her for a moment, letting them finally examine her wound. The rip in her trousers, the seared flesh exposed; one of the worst she's had./p

"Chewie, get Y/N comfortable, then go to the cockpit and get her ready to go" he said, referring to the ship, patting the wall. "I'm going to mount this blaster cannon. Get 'em while we're still on the ground, then meet you in there" he said, reaching up to enter the small space in which he could man the weapon. Y/N reached out in confusion, grabbing his wrist.

"Isn't it just quicker, and _easier_ , to go?" she queried, wincing as she started to support herself again. The response she got was a glint in his eye, a glint that she had seen a couple of times before and didn't wish to question. Hesitantly, she let Chewie help her until they reached the medical bay, helping her sit properly on the platform. He called out to her with worry, and she could just work out what he was saying. "Yeah, I'll be fine for the moment, don't worry- you get to the cockpit, fluffy" she comforted, watching as the Wookiee disappeared in that direction. Y/N reached up and grabbed at the medical pack, they didn't have a droid for this kind of thing, though she'd think by now Han might have invested. The best they had was a scanner, which she picked up and pointed at the wound. It told her what she was physically able to do about it, and whether she would need further treatment. It was clear that she'd need to be seen by a droid or a medic, but for now the scanner told her to dress the wound and take pain relief.

Y/N suddenly felt the sting of tears come to her eyes, and those tears were entirely about the pain. Yet another day or two, or more, was going to be wasted on her getting treatment. If this hadn't been the fourth time this had happened, then maybe she wouldn't have minded. Han was going to be frustrated, she just knew. It meant another day of her not being able to do her job too, the reason why she was here. With a heavy sigh and a grunt of pain, she stood up and limped towards the sleeping cabin they had. She couldn't face them just yet.

Han was now staring down the aim of the blaster cannon, which came to life as Chewie turned on the engines. He was not typically one for a murderous rampage, and he would barely define this as one. He was just looking for someone in particular. If he caught any of the others in the blast, then that wouldn't be the end of the galaxy. They were still firing at them after all. Finally, he had his sights set on a Shistavanen that had had the _nerve_ shoot at Y/N. She was by far the most diplomatic of the three, and this endeavour was never meant to end with a fight; even if trouble seemed to follow him. Why he chose to shoot at her was beyond Han, but now, with his finger happily pressing the trigger, he wouldn't have to think of the bastard for much longer. He had only killed about three or four in the blast, but there was no need to endanger the ship any further. Dismantling himself from the weapon, he raced towards the cockpit and jumped into the seat next to Chewie, helping him switch everything else into place for take-off and the subsequent jump to light speed that they were going to have to do./p

"Set the coordinates for the nearest New Republic controlled planet, no matter where it is we'll get clearance for landing and re-fuelling. Everyone knows General Han Solo" he said with a trademark grin. Chewie blared something back about him retiring that title from the military, and Han shrugged his shoulders. "Either way, I'm still legendary" he persisted, grabbing the controls as they sped away from the shady moon in the Outer Rim, the jump to light speed jerking them backwards. He breathed a sigh of relief as the streaks of blue and white light provided the comfortable knowledge that they were out of the woods. "Right, I'm going to check on Y/N. You going to be okay in here buddy?" he asked. Chewie pushed him away in response, nodding his head.

Han left the cockpit, arriving to find their tiny medical bay empty. He noticed a medical pack was missing, and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "Y/N?" he called, receiving no response. Intuitively, he walked the short distance to the sleeping cabin; the little panel to the side flashing red, telling him it was in use. He gave the door a knock. "Y/N? C'mon, we need to get that wound dressed" he stressed. "Can't have my mechanic out of action for too long, huh?"

"I'll do it myself" she called out rather bluntly, to which Han's mouth dropped open slightly. She had never had this reaction to being injured before. Without thinking, he entered the pin to open the door and found Y/N sitting on the side of the bed, struggling with the bandages. She managed to take off the boot of her unaffected legs, and for greater freedom had slipped her arms out of the overalls she was wearing. She had pulled the upper half down to her waist, her white shirt underneath to keep her covered. She wasn't finding the technicality of wrapping the wound difficult, it was the pain it caused. "I said I'll do it myself" she said hoarsely, watching as his eyes spotted the small injection point in her arm where she had administered the pain relief, which he knew was not of a particularly high dosage.

"Don't be ridiculous" he replied, approaching her and kneeling in front of her. He reached out and pried the bandages from her hands, but she took them back swiftly. "Woah, okay, so snatching things like a baby is suddenly the way this works now is it?" he queried, the anger rising in his voice. She defiantly continued to try and wrap the wound, avoiding his stare. This made Han even more frustrated, why wasn't she just accepting the help? Every other time she had gladly let them care for her. "Okay, kid, I'll leave you to it. Don't come crying to me if you completely botch it" he snapped, standing back up.

Y/N felt a lump in her throat forming and she fiddled with the bandages, feeling his confused and angry gaze. She tried to force this lump away as he turned for the door, watching him begin to walk away. She could hold it back no longer; the lump was choking her. A loud, almost painful sob, escaped her, and Han turned on his heels. She had dropped the bandages as she involuntarily sobbed again, her nose burning as she tried to hold it in. She buried her face in her hands. Han's washed away its temporary anger and was replaced with apprehension. He had only reacted harshly because she had, but the feeling of guilt crept upon him. He sat beside her on the bed.

"Y/N, I-" he began, though as he did so, she lifted her face from her hands, now stained with tears.

"Han, I want to go home".


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's notes:**

Well, here's the second chapter! I didn't think I would actually write it, but I have. Thanks to those who have viewed it so far, its very much appreciated! If have time to drop a little comment, that would be fabulous also!

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The pair were silent for a few moments. It was almost as though Y/N couldn't believe she had said it; it felt like a lie. Did she really want to go back to the place that haunted her memories? Not particularly. However, it was the only thing she could say to allude to the crushing weight of her feelings. She allowed her eyes to meet Han's, a look of astonishment washing over his face. As she took a deep breath, she choked on another sob, which made him flinch and finally formulate a response.

"But…home? Riosa?" he breathed, just as confused over her statement as she was. He had been part of the liberation operation of her home, Riosa. A small temperate planet in the Inner Rim which had housed large factories which the Empire had subsequently taken over, forcing the largely human population to labour within them. They had been fortunate enough to bump into each other during the operation, Y/N helping the Rebels navigate the factories and volunteering to make vital repairs on their ship. It was the least she could do after years of helping build the parts for the Death Star. She hopped aboard the Falcon and vowed not to turn back. "What's happened? What have I done?" he asked, rubbing his temple with concern.

"The young mechanic by his side opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She was afraid that once she expressed her concerns about her failings, he might start to see them too. She had endangered them countless of times, and she was surprised he had never seriously sat down and told her that she was making life difficult. It was like Y/N was constantly on edge, waiting to be told her time was up, as though it was all just blip in her otherwise bleak life.

"You haven't done anything" she answered, wincing at the sound of her shaky voice. She wanted to put him at ease about that. While Han was set on an almost constant mode of sarcasm, he was never cruel. He, alongside Chewie of course, had made her laugh, made her feel part of something; and had obviously saved her life numerous times now.

"Well, there must've been _something_ " he stressed, unconvinced by her statement. Normally he'd have a good idea of what it might be, he often had moments of idiocy where he pushed friends away. Y/N shook her head, sniffing to prevent her nose from running as the tears still forced their way out of her eyes. "You can tell me if I've been an idiot, it's not out of the ordinary for me" he compelled, reaching out a tentative hand to place on her uninjured leg. They weren't often affectionate with each other, there was a hug here and a lean on the shoulder there; but it was impossible not to reach out and be affectionate in the face of someone he had grown to care about being distressed.

"The show of warmth from Han encouraged Y/N somewhat, not because it made her more comfortable to speak, but because she didn't want him to waste any more time on her. She wiped away the tears, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"I'm…" she started, watching as Han's attention was so purely focused on what she was going to say next. "I'm a liability, Han" she confessed, not able to look at him directly. "A liability" she repeated, now that she had said it out loud, it felt like nothing but the truth. "We're always getting _fucked_ because of _me_ " she said, spitting the word me as though it was burning at the back of her throat. "That whole deal back there, that was going to mean _something_. Something _huge_. I made a mistake, I got shot. Then, I almost got you hurt, and Chewie hurt, hell, the _Falcon_ hurt" she explained, the anger commanding her voice in a way Han had never heard before. The hand on her leg slipped away as he tried to formulate a response. "I don't want to be responsible for getting Han Solo, _hero_ of the Rebel Alliance, killed" she added, a moment of tension occurring between the two. Hero of the Rebel Alliance; Han didn't want to be reduced to that, but now was not the time to argue about his identity.

"Listen, Y/N, unless you're pointing a blaster at me and pull the trigger, you're not going to be responsible for my death" he claimed. "What happened back there, that wasn't your fault. What counts as a mistake is changing all the time, the unwritten rulebook is just that, unwritten. Nothing is ever completely certain" he explained, sounding far more sophisticated than he could've hoped to.

""Yeah, but-" she interrupted, feeling the sting of tears again. "But these mistakes are adding up, they're weighing you down" she insisted.

"I've made so many mistakes, even while you've been aboard" he strained, unsure about how to tackle her insistence.

"It's your ship, you're allowed to make mistakes. I'm just a freeloader at the end of the day, Han" she fought back. "I can repair stuff and I can identify parts for trading, basically just tinkering about. That's something you could have _anyone_ do, someone who's not going to be a lia-"

"You are _not_ a liability" Han snapped, which made Y/N flinch in shock. "We _both_ know that you don't want to go back to Riosa, and you are most certainly _wanted_ and _needed_ here" he explained, his firm tone softening the longer he spoke. The lines of his frown still in place, he stood up from the bed and went back to his original position, kneeling in front of her. He picked up the bandages and motioned with them towards her leg, the argument and upset having distracted from the task at hand. "May I?" he asked.

"Y/N still had his words echoing around in her chaotic mess of a brain. She nodded, a little senselessly, as he offered to dress the wound. She wiped her eyes again, looking down at the older man. Wanted and needed? To hear him say that had truly lifted her spirits. She still had doubts, but the sincerity in his voice told her that he emmeant/em it, and with Han, the lines were usually blurred.

""Am I being gentle enough?" he asked, focused on the task at hand, but not focused enough to ignore Y/N. She cleared her throat, finally stabilising her voice.

"Yeah" she replied gently, watching as he delicately wrapped the wound. She had seen him do it to himself before, tying it up like a lunatic; this was a stark contrast. When he had finished, Y/N examined the finished creation and summoned a smile. "Thank you" she acknowledged gratefully, wiping the bottom of her nose with her hand.

"Don't mention it" he replied, a little more chipper now that the seemingly gloomy energy was passing. "Now, lie back and we'll get some proper medical attention in no time" he said, helping her as she tried to pull off her other boot. Y/N heeded his advice and led back into the comfortable foam-like bed, moving her braid to the side and she shifted towards the centre. Han looked around for a moment, running a hand through his hair. "Will you be alright in here, sweetheart?" he asked, though his pronoun for her catching them both off-guard. He had used it when they first met, thinking it would be a fleeting acquaintanceship and because she was noticeably attractive. Getting to know her as a crew mate changed that initial bravado, but he had to admit to himself the attraction was still there; more deep-rooted than hoping for a one-night stand on Riosa, at least.

"I'll be alright" she confirmed, staring at him curiously. He quickly acted upon her comment and made himself scarce, presumably going back to the cockpit to be with Chewbacca. Y/N was left to reflect on the exchange that had just passed. She realised than Han never really gave her the opportunity to respond to his undeniable desire to keep her around; even if she had the opportunity she still didn't know what she would say, other than to be in a perpetual state of gratitude that she can stick around. Regardless, she had felt as though something just happened between them, and Han's actions and words were testament to that.


End file.
